Fate's Gambit: A Half-Blood's Odyssey

Chapter II: The Underground

Behold, my collection of sparkly shinies. A large chest, full of gems and jewels and other precious valuables that shine in the light. Every time I swipe valuable items, the shiniest of them go into the chest for my personal collection, the rest are pawned at the Underground.

It's 8 AM and the sun is shining through the clock face, lighting up the entire room. I empty my satchel on the table, making sure to put the money back first, then sift through last night's jewelry haul. It's so hard to pick which to keep and which to sell. I wish I could keep all of them, honestly.

There's a pearl necklace, but I am not a fan of pearls so I put it into my satchel. Next, diamond rings. Some are silver, the others are gold. They all shine so perfectly. I set those aside for further consideration later. Next up, a gorgeous gold necklace with a ruby charm. It's so intricately decorated, with tiny diamonds on the detailing encircling a large ruby. I rub my cheek against the necklace and make a satisfied humming sound that sounds almost like purring. Yep, this one is for sure a keeper. I toss the necklace at the open chest and it lands perfectly inside.

There are some simple bracelets in here too, yet they don't strike my interest. I examine the rings some more and eventually decide on keeping one of the gold rings. Diamonds are encrusting the entire outside of the band with one large diamond topping it. I rub my cheek against it and make the same hum-purring sound. I put the ring on my finger and twist my hand this way and that, finding myself attracted to the glinting from the diamonds. The ring is loose, however, and it promptly slips right off. Standing, I place the ring in the chest and close the lid and lock it. I don't actually have the key to the chest, just the padlock for it. Any time I need to get inside, I just pick the lock.

My stomach rumbles. I still haven't eaten yet. I put the rest of the jewelry I didn't want to keep in my satchel and head over to my mirror. Somehow, I look worse than I did last night. A quick fluff and smoothing out of the hair and I suddenly look just a little bit better. Decent. I throw my thief gear back on, take the mask out of the cloak pocket and equip it, then take one last look at myself in the mirror. I'm not a pretty girl, but why would I need to be? No one sees my face anyway. My stomach rumbles again a little louder.

"Okay, okay, I heard you the first time," I let out a pained sigh.

Stepping out of the clock tower just about kills me. I haven't seen the sun in days, has it always been this bright? All the same, it's a nice day. Not too warm, but not cold either. Very nice. I walk off into the wooded area next to the clock tower and move cautiously so I can listen out for anything or anyone that may be waiting for a perfect chance to strike. My cat-like reflexes give me an advantage, though. If it weren't for being hungry, I'd be glad to enter combat with something or someone that wants a piece of me. Luckily, this doesn't end up as the case and I'm able to make it to the Underground.

The Underground is a secret market where you can buy, sell, and trade items that will come in handy. The Underground welcomes assassins, thieves, mafia, raiders, bandits, you name it. Found in a rundown village right outside of Ironhaven, The Underground thrives without laws. Legend has it that this place used to be bustling with the wealthiest of nobles until crime made its way through. It started getting more and more out of hand until eventually, the Sidor Kingdom evacuated the area and surrendered the land. Since then, there's been no sight of do-gooders. Being secret and all, the area is appropriately walled off with only one entrance. A large gate guarded by the highest-skilled sharpshooters. 

Admiring the vast, metal area reminds me of my first time discovering the place. It was entirely unintentional. I was on the run, as usual, and stumbled across The Underground while evading the authorities. I remember them chasing me through the woods and stopping in their tracks after I emerged. It felt unusual watching them just stop like that. I was curious at first, believing that I had stumbled upon an abandoned fort or something. Then I understood. There were gunmen perched atop the walls of The Underground, aiming downrange at the stopped officers.